Shop Metal Lathes - Heavy Duty

What are Metal Lathes used for? 

A metal lathe is a machine tool used to shape metal and other materials by cutting, sanding, drilling, or deformation. It typically consists of a bed, which supports a long rotating spindle, and a tailstock, which holds the material being worked on. Metal lathes have a headstock that houses the motor, gears, and spindle, which rotates the material being worked on. A cutting tool is held in a tool post, which is mounted on a sliding carriage, called a cross slide, that moves along the bed of the lathe.

Metal lathes are used for a wide variety of industrial and hobbyist applications. They are used to create precise, symmetrical parts and objects by rotating the material being worked on while a cutting tool is held against it. Metal lathes are used to create a wide range of metal parts, from small precision components to large machine parts such as shafts and gears. Metal Lathes are also used to produce a high degree of accuracy, such as threading, drilling, knurling and turning.

Common examples of items that can be produced with a metal lathe include: screws, shafts, bushings, dies, gears, bolts and many other metal products. They are also used in some industrial processes to finish metal surfaces and to make molds, they can also be used in jewelry making and restoration.

What are the different types of Metal Lathes? 

There are several different types of metal lathes, each designed for specific uses and applications. Some of the most common types of metal lathes include:

1. Bench Lathe: This type of lathe is designed for small-scale work and is commonly used for hobbyist and light-duty applications. It is typically smaller in size and can be mounted on a workbench.

2. Engine Lathe: This is the most common type of lathe and is used for general-purpose turning. It is larger in size and has a greater turning capacity than a bench lathe.

3. Turret Lathe: This type of lathe is similar to an engine lathe, but it has an additional feature of a turret, which holds a variety of cutting tools and allows for rapid tool changes during the turning process.

4. Toolroom Lathe: This is a high precision lathe, designed for precise work with tight tolerances. It is typically used in tool and die making, and has more accurate and rigid construction than other types.

5. Automatic Lathe: Also known as Screw Machine, this type of lathe is designed for high-volume production work. It can be operated automatically, with the ability to perform multiple operations with a single setup, such as drilling, knurling, and threading, making it suitable for mass production.

6. CNC Lathe: Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Lathe is a type of automatic lathe in which the cutting tool is controlled by a computer. They can perform complex operations that are too difficult or time-consuming to be done by hand and are capable of producing highly accurate parts with minimal human intervention.

7. Multi-axis Lathe: They are lathes that have multiple axis for cutting and turning. They may have 2 or more axes that can move at the same time and can make complex geometries. They are also known as Swiss-type Lathes, they are commonly used to produce small and complex parts, such as those used in medical, aerospace and watchmaking industries.